Do Fad Diets really work?If you are considering going on a diet to lose weight, there are 3 key points to consider. Many people lose weight, but few can maintain it. The problem with diets is keeping the weight off. Don't waist your time with a fad diet, make a nutrition change!

You cannot stay on a diet forever.

Unfortunately there is no magic diet.

How do fad diets work?Most fad diets work by changing the way you eat so drastically that you lose your appetite. For example, some diets contain a lot of one food like watermelon or banana. Other diets contain primarily two foods such as the wine and fowl diet. There are diets that cause rapid weight loss by having no carbohydrates or sugars in your diet. The rapid weight loss is however primarily due to fluid loss because ketone bodies are formed in the blood which carry fluid out of your body. Other fad diets include starvation diets (magic which can be believed short-term) or diets that make it easier for you to stick to them in the short-term by requiring the purchase of expensive pre-mixed foods.What people fail to realize when starting a fad diet is that these diets have either dangers associated with them or cannot be adopted in your lifestyle long-term, in other words, fad diets don't work. And whereas about 85% of people lose weight on almost any diet, only about 15% of people keep it off at 2 years and 1 or 2% at 10 years.Essentials of any dietA few of the essential elements of any diet are that it must result in long-term changes in eating patterns, and it must be individualized to you and your lifestyle. It must also include a minimum of 3 meals a day, which contains adequate calories for you to function and stay healthy, and it must contain a good balance of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fat). It is also important to have in between snacks with the same balance of macronutrients. Eating smaller portions more frequently helps to speed up your metabolism. One other note that is important for you to know is that carbohydrates fill you up quickly, whereas proteins keep you full for a longer period of time. As well, there is evidence now that suggests that proteins may increase non-shivering thermogenesis. That is, they can actually increase the number of calories you burn off at rest (i.e. not participating in physical activities). Although this effect is small, with a diet containing minimal proteins, you will feel hungry sooner and your body is not burning off as many calories while at rest, than if you were on a higher protein diet.Starting a nutrition lifestyleIn most cases you should begin this change by simply taking the same food you are consuming now, but cut out as much of the fatty and processed foods as you can while cutting back the portion sizes. After 2 weeks, cut back all processed foods, pay attention to the sugar and sodium content in the foods you are consuming (choose items with less sugar and sodium) and foods with higher fat content. If you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up. Just get back on track the next day. Also when starting, save a "cheat" day. This will help with some of the cravings you may have and also a reward you for your hard work.

Now, try to increase your exercise. It is interesting to note that in some people an increase in exercise causes an increased appetite. If this is the case, go slowly with the exercise. Exercise increases your muscle weight so that when you begin exercising, if you have been inactive, you may initially gain a few pounds. Because of this, when you begin exercising, you may feel and look differently, but your weight may not change or may in fact increase slightly. This is when most people stop and get frustrated. However, if your size is decreasing, you are losing fat! With any change, it is important to make those changes gradually. You didn't gain this weight overnight, don't expect to loose it overnight. SummaryIf you have any diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high blood lipids such as cholesterol, you should see your doctor before starting a diet or exercise program.

Obviously there are diet clinics out there, but for most people looking to loose weight it is as simple as making changes in what we are consuming. The American diet over the last 15-20 years has become very poor. We are in the impatient mode, looking for faster and easier shortcuts, and use way too many excuses. We as a society have always been busy, why now do we not have any time to prepare our meals. I don't understand that. Are parents and their parents didn't eat like we are eating now, they also didn't have the health problems we are seeing now. Maybe this is a coincidence? No, I do not believe so.

I do not want to make this sound easy, because just like any change it is difficult to adapt. If you make these changes slowly and be honest and consistent with yourself, you will adapt. So stop saying things like; I don't have time, it is too hard, my kids won't like this type of food, or I have tried to loose weight in the past and it didn't work. These are excuses and you know it. Stop wasting your time trying to find which "new" diet might work this time, because it won't. Take that same time and energy to making a nutrition change to your lifestyle.